Reading Time: 3 minutesThe Royal Liverpool Philharmonic's recent concert showcased remarkable talent, featuring Anna Meredith's Nautilus, Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with Ning Feng, and Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast led by Sir Bryn Terfel. The evening was charged with emotion and versatility, culminating in a heartfelt Welsh birthday tribute to Terfel, enhancing the uplifting atmosphere.
Reading Time: 3 minutesWith the nights drawing in and the temperature dropping, there’s no better excuse to cosy up with a loved one and bask in something unabashedly romantic - and if Rachmaninov’s Symphony No.2 fits the bill absolutely perfectly. Conducted by Adam Hickox in his Liverpool debut, this concert takes the audience on an emotive journey - starting with Anna Meredith’s Nautilus, then through the motions of Barber’s Violin Concerto, before finishing gloriously on one of Rachmaninov’s most moving pieces.
Reading Time: 3 minutesIf you’re looking for a musical experience that will stay with you, then catching a performance conducted by Matthew Halls should be a priority. If you’re a fan of Mozart, Angela Hewitt is probably the closest you’re going to get to the real deal, so experiencing Halls and Hewitt together is an absolute treat.
Reading Time: 3 minutesThe appeal of Breach Theatre’s After the Act (A Section 28 Musical), especially to the Queer community, is clear. Through the use of the voices of those who lived through this pivotal part of UK legislative history, it tells the story of Section 28, from its conception to its repeal, and the legacy that it has left us with. Against an ever-changing projection of relevant images and information, emotive personal accounts of self discovery, discrimination, and revolutionary acts are brought to life in a delightfully camp, powerfully evocative manner.
Reading Time: 3 minutesAlmost 30 years after its Broadway run, Sheldon Epps and Cheryl L. West’s Play On! has hit UK theatres for the first time, as a part of the Black, British Talawa Theatre Company’s 2024 Black Joy season. A fusion of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and the iconic Jazz scene of the 1940's Cotton Club, the Bard’s work has never been more accessible. With the soulful compositions of jazz legend Duke Ellington providing the musical numbers throughout this soulful romp through Harlem, Play On! is an endearing and light-hearted production that is certainly worth experiencing.
Reading Time: 3 minutesTell Me How It Ends is a product of the Young Everyman Playhouse Writers programme and is writer Tasha Dowd’s debut into the world of theatre writing… and what a debut! The two-person, one act performance, directed wonderfully by Gitika Buttoo, follows the story of Aster and Marc as they navigate friendship, mortality, and what it meant to be Queer during the AIDS epidemic in the late 80s and early 90s. References to literature and pop culture were abound – as well as mentions of iconic clubs from a bygone era of Liverpool’s queer scene. It is clear that a lot of research went into this script, and it was masterfully done. You would be forgiven for assuming that Dowd was writing from their own experience.
Reading Time: 3 minutesWith today’s constant political chatter about immigration and deportation, it seems apt to be reminded of how much Britain needed those people who came here from the West Indies on HMT Empire Windrush. It is important to not forget how reprehensible the government’s treatment of the Windrush Generation has been. It is also imperative to celebrate those people who left their homes, endured poverty and mistreatment, yet still made such a mark on the country we live in today. Windrush The Journey, by Pegasus Opera and in partnership with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, is that celebration.
Reading Time: 3 minutesJoe Ward Munrow’s ‘The Legend of Ned Ludd’ looks at our reality - how capitalism has shaped our lives and our relationship to work, with the constant push-and-pull of innovation and adaptation undulating beneath it all.
Reading Time: 3 minutesAn emotive experience, and a must-see for fans of Edward Scissorhands I am a life-long Edward Scissorhands fan. I grew up on it, played the family VHS copy until it was practically unusable, and know the script…
Reading Time: 3 minutesAn effortless, emotional performance, guaranteed to inspire your inner romantic Domingo Hindoyan is a name you might be familiar with if you’ve ever walked past the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic or seen the banners hanging along Hope Street.…